Entry 4 - Draft 4

Through my research I have learned that even though I originally thought I knew basically everything there was to know about my topic, when it came down to it and I actually started digging for more information, I practically knew nothing at all. I was aware of the common knowledge everyone is exposed to about premarital sex and teenage pregnancies, but never had asked questions about the facts I was given. I suppose it may have been because there was no reason for me to ask. You grow up with such trust in adults, just to grow up and realize that a handful of what they have told you has been lies. Of course they say they lie just to protect you, but especially with this subject, why not just say how it is straight up? Doing this could only help us! 


It turns out once I searched and looked for more information it was there waiting for me! Although most of what I found was in line with what I had previously had come to believe, I think I got a better, real and more educated view on things. Since I was young and would argue with my older brother he would always bring up points I believed to be true, and they wouldn't be your normal everyday information. They would be ground breaking facts that I'd be so shocked to learn about, I'd drop the argument and run to tell all my friends. Only to find out a few days later, all my friends had asked their parents and the fact wasn't true at all! After witnessing so many of these types of conversations with people (not just my brother, but even important people on TV news etc!) I decided that I would never be someone who started the flow of false information again. Ever since then before I make a statement I make sure I have the most up to date information before I go blurting out straight opinions. 


I feel that teenage pregnancy has been on the rise, not only in the amount of actual girl who are pregnant but in the media as well. It has become a big topic of controversy and especially since I have grown up with a personal attachment to the subject I felt a stronger pull to find out more in-depth information so I could have a more educated opinion and know when facts are just being thrown around instead of seriously.


I have learned a lot about myself through this whole experience as well. When you read so many articles from these kids point of view you get thinking how you would react, how your friends would react, how your parents would react, and how your own personal life would change due to an unexpected pregnancy at such a young age. I would never say to not have fun and go be a reckless teenager, but honestly you've got to not have a brain or any common sense to think that means to go all out. There are limits to everything, no matter how much you may hate that. If you think you are "grown up" enough to go out to parties on your own without a parent, you should be grown up enough to know your limits, and that acting stupid doesn't make you look cool -- it only makes you look stupid! Being responsible is a main aspect of considering someone grown up and acting like an adult. You have to be smart and not just think and act in the moment. Everything has an effect no matter how big or small. I know that when I am older and have kids of my own I am going to be very open with them about sex and the results of it. I would never want my child to end up like the many (too many in my opinion) teenagers these days whose lives basically screech to a halt, and make a run for the other directions when they have babies of their own.


I still believe that premarital sex cannot be completely stopped but it can be cut down, better knowledge and facts can be given to everyone about all of the ways to have safe sex if its going to be had. I know that teenagers especially have a mind of their own and don't like to be told what to do. Often they will do the opposite of what you tell them just so they feel independent and like they've made the decision. We can avoid this behavior by giving the younger generations the information they need to be safe, and to not tell them what they have to do (not have sex). All we can do is ADVISE them not to do it because of the potential physical and mental affects, be completely open to any questions and/or concerns and let them know we are always there to support them. By making them feel safe and educated on the subject, next time the opportunity comes up or they are exposed to something, they know what they should do and won't feel conflicted about information given.

Entry 2 - Draft 2

I have found information on teenage pregnancy and sex on some main influences like parents, society, and the media along with a few others that I completely agree with. When I found this information in one of my citations, it was like an "ah-ha" moment. I think the author was right because what they were talking about went right along with what I had been taught and told since I was younger.

I agree with what the author of the source because they were right on line with my personal opinions and it really helped further explain exactly WHY they were the major influences. This then led me to search for more on each influence which solidified the idea in my head.

All over the world, the average number of teenage pregnancies is still way too low. Granted, they have improved from the past but it doesn't change the fact that teenage mothers their babies and even teenage fathers have a daily struggle with their new lives.

Entry 3 - Draft 4

Almost every site that I have found and used throughout my research has just solidified my current beliefs on the subject of teenage pregnancy. They all were showing the different aspect that can ultimately affect a young person in a way that makes them feel it is ok or sometimes feel dismissive about the idea of sex. They all basically had the same top influences they referred to and had done their research for.

There was one source (there always has to be one!) that was totally against my line of thinking. At the same time, I can't say I was TOTALLY against it. "The high school has done perhaps too good a job of embracing young mothers" (McLeod par. 5). This was one of the points made that I just don't agree with. I understand that the amount of pregnant teenagers is rising and it is not a good thing, but I think it is great these girls are continuing with their education at school and the school was provide childcare once the babies are born. I don't think this necessarily encourages young teens to have kids, it is just making their lives a bit easier when otherwise they may not even be able to continue their schooling. 

There was another point covered that I thought wasn't true at all. It was saying that some people were having sex and getting pregnant at such a young age because of the environment they were in. That I absolutely agree with. "It's their fault they were having sex at such a young age and they should have to take care of the resulting child" (Laurence par. 2). The thing I didn't agree with was that they said these young teens were able to avoid being in these bad situation (for instance bad neighborhoods, being involved with the wrong people, poor families not being able to afford "normal" amenities) and had the full capacity to displace themselves to prevent any further harm to themselves or others. 

I don't agree with this statement because the people we are talking about that are being harmed are young kids and teenagers, who usually id are in these situations don't have the money or support or even knowledge to just pick their lives up, move, and start all over. They are depending on someone else for food and housing and in order to survive. I could see how an outside would have that kind of opinion but if you think about it, thats not a very educated statement.

Entry 2 - Draft 4

Over the course of my research I have come to terms that the information I have already learned and have had in my head since my first sex class in middle school was at least a good place to start. One cite I would like to focus in on, was a website for social workers. I feel like it was extremely credible and a great place to get information on for both influences of teenage pregnancy and the possible outcomes of teenage sex because the author gave information from a good amount of other sources that are credible and really emphasized the reasons in her own words. She knew what points she wanted to cover, and how exactly she was going to portray the critical information. I feel like social workers are a good resource for this kind of information on teenage sex because they get to see a lot of the bad outcomes of teen pregnancies when children are neglected first hand. 


"Parents, peers, the media, access to education and services, and a host of other factors influence decisions and subsequent health outcomes. Understanding the context of decision making and the social influences provides significant insight for effective health interventions" (Clark par. 4).This really helped that pretty much everything the author stated in this web page article was right in line with my thoughts. It helped me feel like I was prepared to do research on teenage pregnancies and sex because I had a bit of background information and sometimes that is necessary to know to look for in research. You have to know what you know, and know what you are going to have to look for later on. 

Entry 1 - Draft 4

The question I am going to be doing research on through the course of a couple months is: What are the major influences of teenage sex and pregnancies?


Teenage pregnancy has been something constantly present in my, and many of my family members lives. I have a very personal experience with this topic because most of the women in my family have gotten pregnant at a very early age. My grandmother had my mother when she was only 15 and couldn't handle being responsible for a baby so she gave my mom up for adoption. Sad thing was, she continued having children and putting them up for adoption - for 3 more kids! My mom then got pregnant for the first time when she was 16 by a boy who ended up going MIA and never was involved with the pregnancy or my older sister. I also have 3 sisters and two of them got pregnant early. One dropped out of high school at the end of her senior year to runaway from home, have a baby, and get married (a marriage that only lasted less than a year) and the other dropped out of her first semester of college to get pregnant and get married as well (a marriage that was very rocky and ended on bad terms).


I first got interested in this subject matter because of the first hand experience of teen pregnancy in my very own family and I myself have seen immediate effects of sex and pregnancy at an early age. These are both two very big parts of our everyday lives, that in reality shouldn't be at all. Another big influence of my decision was the fact that a good handful of popular television shows and networks are emphasizing teenage mothers and pregnancies. I understandthat it is something that is growing, and some TV companies feel the more exposure to the subject the more teenagers will understand about it. In my opinion, however, I just see the teens who watch the show envy the main characters' lives when only the glamorous events are shown and only a glimpse of the hard times are and it also desensitizes the idea of sex. I just like the idea of learning more on the subject so I can have a more educated opinion on the matter.


I feel this topic is important because teenage sex is becoming something kids are doing at an earlier age then its been in years. Kids who are 15 years old shouldn't be having sex, because its not all just about pleasure. There are emotions involved and consequences that can be life changing, that young children may not be completely aware of. The younger and more naive population has a habit of jumping into things, often times without much thought and it is especially bad when they are doing this with sex. I like the fact that through this research I am furthering my knowledge on what I can do to help the too young population from making mistakes that change everything.

Entry 4 - Draft 3

Through my research I have learned that even though I originally thought I knew basically everything there was to know about my topic, when it came down to it and I actually started digging for more information, I practically knew nothing at all. I was aware of the common knowledge everyone is exposed to about premarital sex and teenage pregnancies, but never had asked questions about the facts I was given. It turns out once I searched and looked for more information it was there waiting for me! Although most of what I found was in line with what I had previously had come to believe, I think I got a better, real and more educated view on things.

I still believe that premarital sex cannot be completely stopped but it can be cut down, better knowledge and facts can be given to everyone about all of the ways to have safe sex if its going to be had. I know that teenagers especially have a mind of their own and don't like to be told what to do. Often they will do the opposite of what you tell them just so they feel independent and like they've made the decision. We can avoid this behavior by giving the younger generations the information they need to be safe, and to not tell them what they have to do (not have sex). All we can do is ADVISE them not to do it because of the potential physical and mental affects, be completely open to any questions and/or concerns and let them know we are always there to support them. By making them feel safe and educated on the subject, next time the opportunity comes up or they are exposed to something, they know what they should do and won't feel conflicted about information given.

Entry 3 - Draft 3

Practically all of my sources were right on line with my track of thinking. They all were showing the different aspect that can ultimately affect a young person in a way that makes them feel it is ok or sometimes feel dismissive about the idea of sex. They all basically had the same top influences they referred to and had done their research for.

There was one source (there always has to be one!) that was totally against my line of thinking. At the same time, I can't say I was TOTALLY against it. There were, however, points they covered that I thought just weren't the case. It was saying that some people were having sex and getting pregnant at such a young age because of the environment they were in. That I agree with. The thing I didn't agree with was that they said these young teens were able to avoid being in these bad situations (like bad neighborhoods, being involved with the wrong people, parents being poor and not being able to afford the "normal" amenities) and had the full capability to displace themselves and prevent any further harm to themselves or others. I don't agree with this statement because the people we are talking about that are being harmed are young kids and teenagers, who usually if are in these situations don't have the money or support or even knowledge to just pick their lives up, move, and start all over. They are depending on someone else for food and housing and in order to survive. I could see how an outsider would have that kind of opinion but if you think about it, thats not a very educated statement for them to have said.

Entry 2 - Draft 3

One cite I would like to focus in on, was a website for social workers. I feel like it was extremely credible and a great place to get information on for both influences of teenage pregnancy and the possible outcomes of teenage sex because the author gave information from a good amount of other sources that are credible and really emphasized the reasons in her own words. She knew what points she wanted to cover, and how exactly she was going to portray the critical information. I feel like social workers are a good resource for this kind of information on teenage sex because they get to see a lot of the bad outcomes of teen pregnancies when children are neglected first hand. 

It helped that pretty much everything the author stated in this web page article was right in line with my thoughts. It helped me feel like I was prepared to do research on teenage pregnancies and sex because I had a bit of background information and sometimes that is necessary to know to look for in research. You have to know what you know, and know what you are going to have to look for later on. 

Entry 1 - Draft 3

The question I am going to be doing research on is: What are the major influences of teenage sex and pregnancies?

I decided to do my research on this topic because it is a very big part of our lives now a days when it really shouldnt. I also have a personal experience with the topic because most of the girls in my family have gotten pregnant at a very early age. My grandmother had my mom when she was only 15 and couldn't handle being responsible for a baby so she ended up giving my mom up for adoption. I also have 3 sisters and two of them got pregnant early. One dropped out of high school her senior year to get married (a marriage that didn't last but a year) and the other dropped out of college her first semester to have her baby and get married as well(a marriage that was very rocky and ended on bad terms).

I first got interested in this subject matter because of the first hand experience I have with it in my own family and I have seen the immediate affects of sex and pregnancy at an early age. Another big influence for my decision was the fact that a good handful of the shows on popular television networks are on teenage mothers and pregnancies. I understand that it is something that is growing, and some TV companies feel the more exposure to the subject the more teenagers will understand about it. In my opinion, however, I just see the teens who watch the show envy the main characters' lives when only the glamorous events are shown and only a glimpse of the hard times are and it also desensitizes the idea of sex. I just like the idea of learning more on the subject so I can have a more educated opinion on the matter.

I feel this topic is important because teenage sex is becoming something kids are doing at an earlier age then its been in years. Kids who are 15 years old shouldn't be having sex, because its not all just about pleasure. There are emotions involved and consequences that can be life changing, that young children may not be completely aware of. The younger and more naive population has a habit of jumping into things, often times without much thought and it is especially bad when they are doing this with sex. I like the fact that through this research I am furthering my knowledge on what I can do to help the too young population from making mistakes that change everything.

Entry 4 - Draft 2

From my research so far, a lot of what I already had opinions and ideas on were solidified and supported by the sources I have checked out. I have learned some of the major influences of teenage sex and pregnancies are caused by peers, school and home environment and, the one that has been most highlighted, the media. It was crazy to me to learn about the media and really how much power it has over our everyday lives and all the different ways it influences us. I started out this project with the idea that the more knowledge I had the better I would feel, but it actually has made me feel more curious. The more websites and information I read on the topic the more I want to learn.

Entry 3 - Draft 2

One of the entries that I found that went against what my ideas were was an article in a magazine. It was saying that it is the teens fault when they have premarital sex and get pregnant. It stated that the teens immersed themselves in that environment and had the full capacity to move away from it and control what they did and didn't do. I disagree with that because the teenagers most of the time live with their parents. They cant afford to live on their own, and therefor are stuck in whatever environment their parents or guardians have chosen to live in, whether it be good or bad.

I guess I could see where the author was coming from. A lot of people you hear about make bad decisions because of the people they hang out with. They could have just dropped the bad person as a friend and moved on to bigger and better things but they chose not to. I guess the author was thinking from maybe a privileged persons point of view. Someone who had a lot of money and who had great opportunities COULD just pack up and move. I'm thinking more rationally and how not everyone is as privileged as that. 

Entry 2 - Draft 2

I have found information on teenage pregnancy and sex on some main influences like parents, society, and the media along with a few others that I completely agree with. When I found this information in one of my citations, it was like an "ah-ha" moment. 

I agree with what the author of the source because they were right on line with my personal opinions and it really helped further explain exactly WHY they were the major influences. This then led me to search for more on each influence which solidified the idea in my head.

All over the world, the average number of teenage pregnancies is still way too low. Granted, they have improved from the past but it doesn't change the fact that teenage mothers their babies and even teenage fathers have a daily struggle with their new lives.

Entry 1 - Draft 2

My Inquiry Question: What are the major influences of teenage sex and pregnancies?

I decided to do my research on this topic because it is a very big part of our lives now a days when it really shouldnt. I also have a personal experience with the topic because most of the girls in my family have gotten pregnant at a very early age. My grandmother had my mom when she was only 15 and couldn't handle being responsible for a baby so she ended up giving my mom up for adoption. I also have 3 sisters and two of them got pregnant early. One dropped out of high school her senior year to get married (a marriage that didn't last but a year) and the other dropped out of college her first semester to have her baby and get married as well(a marriage that was very rocky and ended on bad terms).

I first got interested in this subject matter because of the first hand experience I have with it in my own family and I have seen the immediate affects of sex and pregnancy at an early age. Another big influence for my decision was the fact that a good handful of the shows on popular television networks are on teenage mothers and pregnancies. I understand that it is something that is growing, and some TV companies feel the more exposure to the subject the more teenagers will understand about it. In my opinion, however, I just see the teens who watch the show envy the main characters' lives when only the glamorous events are shown and only a glimpse of the hard times are and it also desensitizes the idea of sex. I just like the idea of learning more on the subject so I can have a more educated opinion on the matter.

Entry 5 - Draft 1

Annotated Bibliographies

Inquiry Question: What are the major influences of teenage sex and pregnancies?

1.    Website

MLA Cite: Clark, Sheila. “Parents, Peers, and Pressures: Identifying the Influences on Responsible Sexual Decision-Making.” National Association of Social Workers. Sept. 2001. Web. 24 Feb. 2012.

Summary: This website talks about many of the different and most-impactful influences of having sex, focusing on the younger teenage population of the world. When you’re ad adolescent you have come to sexual maturity and its normal to be curious and to want to know what is changing and the reasons for doing so. This source talks about how learning about sex is a necessary thing but there are often obstacles in the way that prevent the recipient from either getting the correct information or, in some cases, any information at all. Teenagers are often depicted as not making educated decisions or just going with a guy feeling not always caring about the outcome. However, sex and the results of sex are very life changing and can’t just be tossed aside. The author covers many ideas including four main influences of sex that are present in most everyone’s everyday lives, and therefore are most readily available to persuade a person to do something or not to do it.

Evaluation: This source is extremely credible and a great place to get information on both influences of teenage pregnancy and the possible outcomes of teenage sex. The author gives information from a good amount of other sources that are credible and really emphasize the things in her own way. Sheila know what she wants to portray through her article, and does a successful job illustrating points she feel are critical to know in order to be a properly educated teen facing these decisions on sex. This is a good website for the article and subject matter because it is a social worker website. Social workers are often put in charge of overseeing parenting skills and sometimes have to remove children from a harmful situation at home. I feel like they are a good resource for this kind of information on teenage sex because they get to see a lot of the bad outcomes of teen pregnancies when children are neglected.

      I could absolutely benefit from the information given from this source. Like I said before, it is a social workers website and I feel that means they have a lot of background working with kids, and sadly with children who have children (teenage parents) so they know what information is beneficial to teenagers who are thinking about having sex. They have seen 15 and 16 year olds with babies who regret having that unprotected sex, or adolescents with STDs who wish they had learned about the risks that can come along with sex. They know the ups and downs so I feel like they have the most pivotal information or opinions that could help educate teenagers more about sex. The author also portrayed a lot of my very own opinions and ideas into this website article. For instance the four main influences she talks about are the four that I have previously decided to focus in on most during my research.

2.    Journal

MLA Cite: Park, Alice. “Sex on TV Increases Teen Pregnancy, Says Report.” Time. 03 Nov. 2008. Web. 25 Feb. 2012.

Summary: The entry in this journal specifically talks about the effect media has on the teenage pregnancy rates. The amount that can be shown and inferred of sexual acts in the media, like television for example is high. This source says how sex is talked about and shown all around us, in movies, television, magazines, and advertisements, and because we see it so often and in so many different areas, we become used to it and desensitized. When sex is a part of the lead characters life in a show, teenagers may relate and especially for someone who hasn’t had encounters with sex, may think this is the norm. However, when they then go out into the world with a more promiscuous view on life then they should, it can put them at a greater risk for doing things they may not be entirely too comfortable with just because they think that’s the way everyone thinks and does.

Evaluation: This source is a credible source because it contains a survey where wide ranges of teenagers were surveyed. Over the course of three years they were asked the same questions to see as time went on and they grew up, how they thought the relationship between the amounts of sex depicted in media affected the amount of pregnancies in young kids was higher, the same or less. The author is very opinionated but I don’t think she is being biased. She has her information and I believe she wrote with an open mind, just wanted to get the results of her research out there to the public.

            Using the information given in this source would not be hard at all. It contains good information from real people over the source of three years. The people who were surveyed, their opinion could stay the same over time but they also could change if they really paid attention to the effect of the media on teenagers. This specific source could really help me because one of the topics I would like to cover is the influence of media on the early pregnancy rates, and that information is very well covered here. I feel that I could use this reliable source to back up my ideals and someone who was reading my material would actually believe the things I’ve said because of the source.

3.    Book

MLA Cite: Farber, Naomi. "Approaches to Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy." Adolescent Pregnancy: Policy and Prevention Services. New York: Springer Pub., 2003. Print.

Summary: This book overall is about the various influences of teenage sex and ultimately teenage pregnancy and how everything is preventable. The specific chapter I chose to focus in on and read through most was entitled “Approaches to Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy”. This talks about teens that are most vulnerable to pregnancy experience the most risk factors and because of this, have fewer amounts of protective factors. These risks are presented at all parts of their lives, both public and private and can make teens feel like there is no escape from the influences. Another main point this article covers is how and what we all can do to prevent young women from becoming pregnant and young men from father a child at such an early age.

Evaluation: This source is credible since Farber, who is an educated writer wrote the book. The Ph.D. she has and the fact she can be found as the author of a few other pieces of writing. The information I received from reading the selected chapter and some surrounding pages, would back up my opinion but at the same time would give some ideas from someone on the opposing side as me, or just someone who has varying opinions. She covers the fact that there is more we can do to help troubled young adults and teens from being over exposed to the idea of sex and that it is normal to have at such a young age.

4.    Website

MLA Cite: Nauert, Nick. "TV Sex Influences Teen Pregnancy | Psych Central News." Psych Central. 5 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2012.

Summary: This source states that adolescents who are exposed more often to television programs that contain sexual content are more likely to have pregnancy over the next three years compared to others their age who watched fewer of the same shows.  Some researchers in the article said a high level of exposure to sex on television can influence teen pregnancy by making it seem like theres little risk involved with having sex without using contraceptives.  This article covered the fact that broadcasters should take more responsibility and depict a more realistic view on sex, then what they’re doing now.

Evaluation: This source is a good resource for my inquiry question because media was a major influence of sex since it because popular. Television shows depict sex as a casual thing, and when teen sees that they think that is how it really is out in the world. In fact, its not always just a spur of the moment thing, especially not when you’re young. Teenagers have much of their life ahead of them and should not just jump too ahead of themselves just because that’s what they feel influenced to do from their favorite TV show or movie.

5.    Journal

MLA Cite: Hallak, M. "Teenage Pregnancy: Risk Factors for Adverse Perinatal Outcome” Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine 10.6 (2001): 393-97. Print.

Summary: This journal entry talks mostly about the effects of teenage pregnancy not only to the teens but also the baby. The authors are all educated and involved in the medical field specializing with steps of a pregnancy and they share the problems that can occur with a teenage pregnancy. When teens have babies, some girl’s bodies may not be physically prepared to carry that child successfully and can end in tragedy. This article gives normal statistics of a mother and baby, and compares them to that of a mother and baby in a young pregnancy.

Evaluation: This is a credible source because the authors are well educated, have written many articles on this subject along with others, and have worked their way to be recognized, and also because they all are involved with the medical aspect of pregnancies. They are all linked to various sections that deal with pregnancy, and teenage pregnancy specifically for this subject (i.e. Gynecology, Obstetrics).  This is good to have as a resource for my research topic because they all have personal experience and good education as to what is normal and healthy for mother and baby, so they would definitely recognize when something out of the norm occurs. When a teenage mother comes in and has complications throughout her pregnancy, then delivers a premature tiny, not very healthy baby, they would take note and may be involved with making both mother and baby healthy and happy again. These authors and this article can help get a more scientific and doctorial opinion incorporated in my paper. 

Entry 4 - Draft 1

From my research so far, a lot of what I already had opinions and ideas on were solidified and supported by the sources I have checked out. I have learned some of the major influences of teenage sex and pregnancies are caused by peers, school and home environment and, the one that has been most highlighted, the media. I grew up learning a lot about teenage pregnancies since a lot of my family have ben effected it, but through research I have come to see new angles. I think teen sex and pregnancies are both things we need to and can lower just by exposure.

Entry 3 - Draft 1

One of the entries that I found that went against what my ideas were was an article in a magazine. It was saying that it is the teens fault when they have premarital sex and get pregnant. It stated that the teens immersed themselves in that environment and had the full capacity to move away from it and control what they did and didn't do. I disagree with that because the teenagers most of the time live with their parents. They cant afford to live on their own, and therefor are stuck in whatever environment their parents or guardians have chosen to live in, whether it be good or bad.

Entry 2 - Draft 1

I have found information on teenage pregnancy and sex on some main influences like parents, society, and the media along with a few others that I completely agree with. When I found this information in one of my citations, it was like an "ah-ha" moment. I think the author was right because what they were talking about went right along with what I had been taught and told since I was younger.

Entry 1 - Draft 1

My Inquiry Question: What are the major influences of teenage sex and pregnancies?


I decided to do my research on this topic because it is a very big part of our lives now a days when it really shouldn't. I first got interested in this subject matter because of the first hand experience I have with it in my own family and I have seen the immediate affects of sex and pregnancy at an early age. Another big influence for my decision was the fact that a good handful of the shows on popular television networks are on teenage mothers and pregnancies. Some producers might think that if they have popular television shows involving sex and pregnancies the more the viewers will learn but while that may happen for some, the others may find it a glamourous life and envy the characters.